Apparatus for coating sheet metal.



SAMUEL E. ANDRESS, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

APPARATUS FOR COATING- SHEET METAL.

Specication of Letters Patent. 4

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Application filed August 19, 1908. Serial No. 449,272.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. ANDREss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Coating Sheet Metal g and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for galvanizing iron, etc., and comprises essentially certain adjustable mechanism whereby the .rollers between which the sheets of metal are drawn, may be regulated, and also in the provision of a swinging guide frame so arranged as to allow for variation in the thicknesses of the plates being coated and also to give ready access to a plate which it might be desired to withdraw from the bath for any purpose.

The invention comprises various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in side elevation, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of a hanger plate.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A, A designate two beamsadapted to have pivotal connection at A with any fixed object, either the wall of a vat or pot that is adapted to contain the molten metal or adjacent thereto, and so arranged as to `allow the frame of which said beams are a part to have swinging movements upon said pivots. Upon each of said beams is mounted a drop frame, desi nated by letter B, and upon the horizontal y disposed portions of said frames B are mounted the bearing boxes p and p', said boxes having flanges at their lower edges and adapted to straddle the frames, as shown clearly in the drawings. Mounted respectively in said bearin s are the two rollers P and P. A gear w eel O is fastened to the spindle end of the roller P.

N designates a shaft mounted in suitable bearings in the beams A and a driving pulley N is fixed to one end of the shaft N and to which power may be applied. A hollow gear wheel, designated by letter M, is fixed to the shaft N and is made up of two circular disks connected together by a series of pins m spaced apart, while the sides of said wheel M are provided with openings m. Said pins m are spaced apart suitable distances in order to receive the teeth of the gear wheel O. Said form of construction of hollow gear wheel as set forth is for the purpose of allowing" any molten metal which might adhere to the teeth of the ear wheel O to be discharged from between t e teeth thereof as it intermeshes with the teeth m, thereby clearing the gear wheel O of such accumulation of metal which, in the case of two solid gear wheels intermeshing, becomes objectionable and will cause an imperfect product in the coating of sheets of metal. This idea, however, of a solid pinion or gear wheel intermeshing with a hollow one for the purpose described, forms no art of the present invention but is made t e subject-matter of a separate co-pending application Serial No. 449,272, filed in the U. S. Patent Office upon August 19, 1908.

A cradle made up of longitudinally disposed curved bars H is fixed to said beams A and B in the manner shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Said bars H are formed of bars curved edgewise and are held together by means of cross-rods orbars fi, suitable spacing washers or tubes Z being interposed between said bars, as shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The inner curved ends of the bars H are fastened to the frame B by means of a cross-bar or rod c' at a location underneath the bearing blocks p, as shown clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. A second cradle is made up of the curved bars H similar in construction to the bars H described, said bars being yheld together' by means of cross rods t and the inner curved ends of the bars H are pivotally mounted upon a rod H2 which is mounted adjacent to the rod which fastens the inner curved ends of the rods H, said rod H2, however, forming a pivot upon which the cradle H made up of the bars H may swing outward a limited distance., the straight shank portions of the bars H in such swinging movement approaching a vertical position. It will be noted that the cross-rod t" which connects the outer ends of the bars H is adapted to normally rest upon the oppositely disposed beams A when in the position shown in Fig. l of the drawings, and in which position a slight space intervenes between the inner curved ends of the b-ars H and the bars H through which the sheets of metal pass to the :discharge rollers described.

In order to hold the two discharge rollers together, l have provided the hanger plates D, a .detail view of one being shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Said plates D are arranged in pairs u on the opposite faces of each beam A and yeac is provided with an inclined notch D in which the ends of a pin `Gr are adapted to :be seated, said pin being carried by the upright portion of the lever E, the lower angled end E of which bea-rs frictionally against the vertical .edge of the'boX p. A handle c projects at right angles from the upright portion .of the lever E and affords means whereby the angled end of :the lever may be pushed against the boxing l) .to Vcause the rollers to contact, vthe pivotal pin G being fulcrumed in the inclined groove or notch D. A spring E2 may be fastened to each of the handles E :and provide means whereby the two rollers may be held normally in -contact with each other, :the one roller P yielding slightly to receive .a lsheet iof metal .drawn therethrough.

Mounted in threaded apertures in .the boxes b of the frame B are the adjusting screws F, each of which has .a cross-piece f at its atop forming a means `to rotate the screw, .the lower end -of leach screw being .adapted to .bear against the flange or top of .a vat or pot, not shown, containing the mol- .ten metal with which `the sheets of iron are to be coated.

An :apron K', being diagonally disposed, is fastened at its upper .end to a ycross bar L, which has la .sliding movement upon the upper edges kof the bars A, while its lower .end is .pivotally mounted upon Aa rod h .passing through the bars H. Said apron -is provided with a series .of bars h which :are pivo-tally connected at their lower sends to the Vrod h and `their upper ends to the cross bar L. The .apron K, positioned .as shown .and described, Avserves to deflect any flux or :particles of dross -which might otherwise :adhere .to the 4surfaces of the sheets Aof metalbeing .coated and cause :defects therein.

The operation of .my :apparatus is as follows. The frame A .being pivotally mounted yupon I'a vat, the cradles :and rollers with the gear wheel 'fastened to one of `the .latte-r yare .adapted to be immersed in the molten metal `with lwhichthe sheets of iron .are to =be coated. The cradles .areso .shaped that the -sheets .of iron are .caused v.to pass first downwardly through the molten metal, thence caused to curve upwardly yto the discharge rollers between which they are Oripped and frictionyally fed upward, thus allowing the sheets of metal to shed flux or other foreign substances from the under surfaces thereof, the two discharge rolls being held at all times against the opposite faces of the sheets as they are being fed upward. As the solid gear wheel O is constantly turning in the molten metal, the spaces intermediate the teeth thereof will be clogged with the metal and as the .teeth thereof intermesh with the teeth M upon the hollow gear wheel, any accumulation of .the molten metal will be cleared from the teeth of the wheel .and thus allow the vapparatus to move smoothly without interruption. By means of the set-screws, the frame carrying the rollers and the cradles may be raised or lowered to gage the depth at which it may be desired to have the rolls rest underneath the surface of the molten metal. ln the event of it being desired for any purpose to have access to the .space intermediate the fixed and the swinging cradle, as for instance to remove a sheet of metal without its passing between the discharge rollers, the sheets being fed in between the cradles, the cradle made up of the bars H may be swung up over the rollers, the .apron having a sliding movement to allow the swinging frame to move freely vto the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l .of the drawings.

By the .arrangement `of the lever faulcrumed in the notches of the hangers D., said levers may be readily removed by swinging the upright .portions thereof forward, after which the boxes may be readily lremoved by sliding the same to the right and lifting them out between the spaces intervening between the free ends of `the hangers D and the :upright portions of the drop frame B.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that by the provision of an apparatus as shown and described, a simple and efh-cient mechanism is afforded .whereby a swinging cradle is provided to .allow ready .access to be had .to the guideway .through which the .sheets pass, and the frame as well as .the rollers .allowed the adjustable movements .set forth. As the contact edges ofthe cradles are without obstructions, the sheets of metal .will travel freely wit-hout any vlikelihood of becoming buckled by contact with projections such .as screws, bolt heads, etc., which has heretofore been an objection 'with machines commonly in use.

What 1 claim is 1. An apparatus fory galvanizing iron, etc., comprising beams which-are .adapted to be pivoted at ycorresponding ends, .a idr-op frame secured to said beams, :adjusting sere-ws mounted .in said `drop frames,- dischargerozlils mounted upon .th-e latter, fa fixed cradle fastened to said beamsrand frame,and,an.adj.ust-

able cradle pivotally connected at its inner end to said frame, as set forth.

2. An apparatus for galvanizing iron, etc., comprising beams which are adapted to be pivoted at corresponding ends, a drop frame secured to saidV beams, adjusting screws mounted in said drop frames, discharge rolls mounted upon the latter, a iiXed cradle fastened to said beams and framean adjustable cradle pivotally connected at its inner end to said frame, the free end of said pivotal cradle normally resting upon said beams, and an apron hinged at its lower end to the pivotal cradle and having a sliding movement upon the upper edges of said beams, as set forth.

3. An apparatus for galvanizing iron, etc., comprising beams which are adapted to be pivoted at corresponding ends, a drop frame secured to said beams, adjusting screws mounted in said drop frames, discharge rolls mounted upon the latter, a cradle made up of bars which are curved edgewise, said bars being fastened at their outer ends to said beams and their inner ends to said frame, a swinging cradle made up of bars which are curved upon their edges, the inner ends of said swinging cradle pivoted to said drop l frame, and a rod fastened to the outer end thereof and resting upon said beams, as set forth.

4.. An apparatus for galvanizing iron, etc., comprising beams which are adapted to be pivoted at corresponding ends, a drop frame secured to said beams, adjusting screws mounted in said drop frames, discharge rolls mounted upon the latter, a cradle made up of bars which are curved edgewise, said barsbeing fastened at their outer ends to said beams and their inner ends to said frame, a swinging cradle made up of bars which are curved upon their edges, the inner ends of said swinging cradle pivoted to said drop frame, a rod fastened to the outer end thereof and resting upon said beams, an apron pivotally connected to said swinging cradle at its inner end, and a rod fastened to the outer end of said apron and resting upon said beams, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the resence of two witnesses.

AMUEL E. ANDRESS. Witnesses:

GEORGE L. MGCARTHY, EDWARD T. PRICE. 

